Lions Fed to Hungry Matadors

What terrific timing. Heading into this weekend’s crucial series at Oklahoma State, Cal State Northridge has built the momentum of a street luge racer.

Fifty runs, 50 hits and 12 home runs in two days will do that.

The Matadors rode seven home runs to a 19-10 rout of Loyola Marymount on Wednesday at wind-swept George Page Stadium, one day after scoring 14 runs in the first inning of a 31-9 victory over UC Santa Barbara.

Northridge (30-15-1), an independent, has won eight of nine and is methodically trying to rack up enough victories to earn a regional berth. Seventeen games remain, none more important than the three against Oklahoma State, ranked No. 9 by Baseball America.

“We need to do good against Oklahoma State,” right fielder Jose Miranda said. “We all know that.”

Miranda was great against Loyola (13-25), hitting two home runs, two doubles and a single, and driving in four runs. He improved his batting average to .400 and has 18 homers.

“We’re confident right now,” he said. “I hear Oklahoma State is a hitter’s park, so we’ll keep taking good at-bats.”

As good as Miranda was, he was upstaged by freshman Terrmel Sledge, who led off the game with a home run to center field, singled and scored in the second, hit a two-run homer in the sixth and a three-run homer in the seventh. He drove in six runs and improved his average to .383.

“I’m trying to be more aggressive at the plate,” Sledge said. “I didn’t want to wait until next year to perform. Now is the time.”

Sledge, an outfielder from Kennedy High, was one of four freshmen in the lineup, and Coach Mike Batesole believes the rapid development of his younger players will be crucial during the stretch run.

“Our freshmen had to play like sophomores before anybody else’s because we rely on them so much,” Batesole said.

Sledge led off the first with a home run, the first of four consecutive hits, all of which became runs. Northridge added five runs in the second, highlighted by a three-run double by freshman first baseman Adrian Mendoza.

Every Matador starter had a hit by the fifth inning, when a four-run rally by the Lions was answered by consecutive home runs by Miranda and junior third baseman Chris MacMillan.

The Matadors added three in the sixth and three in the seventh to take a 17-4 lead.

Batesole was gratified that the victories the last two days came against teams from the Big West and West Coast conferences. The Matadors are trying to gain entry into either conference, and the fact that they are 15-4 against Big West and West Coast teams is a plus.

“The better we do against teams from those conferences, the more likely it is we’ll get in,” he said.

As for getting into a regional, he won’t predict how many victories it will take for the NCAA to give Northridge the nod.

“After this weekend, I’ll take a minute and look at it seriously,” he said. “We just have to play every game as hard as we can.”

Matador notes

Nathan Rice struck out six and allowed one base runner in the first three innings before walking three and giving up three hits to open the fourth. Senior right-hander Gary Stephenson (3-2), who had been struggling, pitched three strong innings to earn his first victory since February.

Former Westlake High standout Matt Riordan is playing center field and batting leadoff for Loyola Marymount. Riordan, a freshman, is batting .306. He kept busy against Northridge, making six putouts, fielding seven hits and watching two home runs sail over his head.